


Last Chance for Saving

by CooperNox (CooperMox)



Series: Love and War [6]
Category: The 100 (TV), The Last Ship (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, End of the World, F/F, Marine!Lexa, Plague, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Power Couple, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-21
Updated: 2015-11-14
Packaged: 2018-03-25 02:35:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3793480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CooperMox/pseuds/CooperNox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternate future for Clarke and Lexa (Love and War AU), in which the Red Flu decimates the world and Lexa must bring home a cure before it's too late</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Marine!Lexa just fit too well into the Last Ship not to write this, it's super angsty, but I've not been able to stop writing it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reformatting and Editing and Rewriting this first chapter right now, I just realized how bad it it in comparison to the second installment. 
> 
> Formatting is done, Rewrites are coming
> 
> Bear with me

**Six months ago ******

"Commander."   
The young marine announced herself with a salute, waiting for the Captain of the Nathan James to turn.  
"Captain Heda."   
Commander Chandler returned her salute and dropped to Ease, she followed suit.   
"I've been assigned to your ship Sir, I was told to report to you directly for orders."

"A single Marine for a covert weapons test op? What was your assignment exactly captain?" Chandler had enough on his plate after settling the doctors in the helo bay.

"Sir. My assignment was to report to the Nathan James and await orders from you, Commander Chandler. I wasn't given any more than that. I had assumed you had requested Marine support Sir." 

"Well that's a whole lotta mysterious."   
the XO, Slattery joined them on the deck raising a quick salute to the commander and the Marine. 

"We didn't request it, but we're happy to have you Captain. We can always use an extra gun, and a Marine Sharpshooter is not a gift I'm likely to turn down."   
The Commander took in the badges and pins on the Marine's dress blues, standard Officer wear for disembarking. 

"Then I assume we have the Governor of Delaware and Navy high command to thank for my presence here. Though if Mother talked to Father to pull strings to get me on this ship, may I say that I have my suspicions about this mission sir?"

"We have CDC scientist's on board, perhaps they requested added security."   
Chandler noted the suspicion, sharing it somewhat, but openly dismissed it, refusing to start a mission with doubts. 

"I'll introduce you. What's your name Captain Heda?"

"Alexandria, sir. Lexa if you would." 

"Right this way Captain Lexa, come meet Doctor Scott, your assignment for this mission."

* * *

**The arctic**

 

"Doctor Scott, can I ask you something?"   
The captain asked as the older woman dug in the snow.

"Of course Lexa. What is it?"

"This virus you're looking for, it's hit home hasn't it? You're looking for a cure."   
Rachel paused, looking at her young guard. 

"I have no idea what you're talking about."   
She said quickly, returning to her work. 

"Don't bullshit me doctor. My parents, who hate each other by the way, worked together to get me stationed on the Nathan James for this assignment, no one requested that I be here, but here I am. If I know my mother, she's trying to protect me from something, and if it's bad enough to send me up to the arctic, I need to know if I'm the only one she had a chance to protect. I know you have a sat phone and I know you've broken radio silence to talk to the CDC. I haven't, and I won't tell Commander Chandler. If you let me make two calls." 

"Are you blackmailing me?"   
The doctor had grown fond of the girl over the last four months, but she had not noticed just how observant she was being until now.

"A favor for a favor Rachel. I was supposed to be getting engaged today, and I don't even know if Clarke is alive. This thing is bad isn't it?" 

The doctor let out a long sigh, glancing over at her partner, digging some yards away, making sure Quincy hadn't been listening. 

"It's bad. I've lost contact with the CDC, the governments are breaking down, its spreading too fast. It is vital that you not tell anyone, Captain. if the Commander knew, he would turn us back to the states in a second-"

"Why shouldn't he?"   
Lexa interjected.

"Because I need the primordial sample from here to make a vaccine or a cure, and if we panic and go home, we're all dead, everyone on this ship, everyone in the world!"

"I already said I wouldn't say anything. I just needed to know how bad it was. Two phone calls Rachel, that's all I need."

* * *

"Mom!"   
Lexa practically jumped when the phone connected finally. 

"Lexa?! Where are you?! you're supposed to be on the Nathan James, they're radio silent. What's going on?"

"So you did get me assigned here. How bad is it? Are Lincoln and Octavia and the baby safe?"   
Lexa didn't care to explain their circumstances to her mother at the moment, so she focused on what she had called to ask.   
"Mom, did you get Clarke out?"

"The midwest was still clear when I heard, so I sent Lincoln and Octavia there with Clarke and Doctor Griffin, but Lexa, I haven't heard from them in two months. It’s all over unless you can get back with that doctor's cure.”

“We’re working on it. Where did you send them?”

“Your father was on base in Galveston. But it’s gone dark, they would have moved if they got out before the virus got there.” 

“Then they moved. I have to try to reach them. Be safe Mom. Get out of there.”   
Lexa hung up before her mother could say anything else. She nodded at Rachel who was hovering a few feet away and dialed Clarke’s cell, knowing that her mother had probably only tried her father and Lincoln. Even though Lexa didn’t believe in luck or prayer, she crossed her fingers and muttered “please” over and over to whatever was listening as the phone kept ringing.

“Hello?”   
Lexa jumped again, covering her mouth to prevent a sob from escaping upon hearing Clarke’s voice.   
“Hello?” 

“Clarke.”   
was all Lexa could manage to choke out. Clarke could not control her own sobbing exclamation as she recognised the voice on the other end.

“Lexa! Baby, Oh my god. I thought you were dead!”  
Lexa heard commotion in the background, telling her that her family was there and just as surprised to hear from her. She sighed in relief and composed herself, wiping a tear that threatened to fall out of her eye. 

“I’m ok Love. I’m with a doctor from the CDC, she’s working on the cure for this thing. It’s top secret, I didn’t even know what we were doing until today, the crew is still in the dark, we can’t risk coming home until she finds it. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there today Clarke. Happy birthday.”

Clarke was crying and Lexa could hear her sister-in-law trying to sooth her.

“Clarke, hun, listen. I can’t talk long, If the commander finds this phone…”   
she didn’t know exactly what would happen, but the doctor’s mission would likely be compromised. 

“I need you to stay safe ok? Keep ahead of the virus. If you even hear about someone being sick near you, run. Find any military base and stay there as long as it’s safe. Give them my ID if they won’t let you in. Where are you now?”   
she heard Clarke take a deep breath and pictured her nodding, taking in her instructions and committing them to memory.

“We’re just outside of Dallas. It’s an abandoned airstrip, but it’s safe. Octavia and Lincoln and the baby are here, she’s beautiful Lex, you’ll love her.”  
Lexa heard the smile in Clarke’s voice and knew that their niece was going to be the most spoiled baby in the world once it got back to normal.  
“My mom and Marcus and Raven too. Bellamy wouldn’t leave DC,” Clarke choked up again and Lexa’s heart sunk.  
“Lexa, your dad… he didn’t make it. I’m so sorry babe. He wouldn’t let us near him, he wouldn’t even let Mom try.” 

Lexa held her eyes closed and took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to push the pain of losing her father and Bellamy away to deal with when it was appropriate, when she was alone. 

“Lexa?”

“I’m ok, Clarke.”

“I know you’re not. I know you.” 

“I’ll be ok. But I can’t lose you ok? We’re going to get a cure for this thing and I’m going to come find you. When you reach a base, get to their radio and broadcast on a secure frequency. Someone should be monitoring them at all times, so I’ll be able to find it and get a location. Nothing personal or identifying ok. Just ‘CG to LH’ and a head count so I know you’re all still alive. If we come back with a cure, we’ll probably be targets. Just keep sending out that message ok?” 

Years of tactics told her that her country would be a war zone when she returned, and desperate people would do anything to get their hands on what she hoped to be returning with. 

“Ok. I can do that. Just hurry baby, I need you.”

“I will. I love you Clarke.” 

“I love you too Lexa.”  
Lexa almost hung up but stopped herself, putting the phone back to her ear quickly.

“Clarke?”  
she asked, hoping she hadn’t hung up yet.

“Yeah?”

“Marry me?”   
Lexa heard a deep breath on the other end of the line and could tell Clarke had started crying again.  
“I’m sorry I can’t give you the ring, I had planned- I just- This-”   
Lexa panicked and started stuttering out any explanation that she could think of, trying to say all of them at once. 

“Yes!”   
Clarke interrupted laughing through tears.   
“Yes. Forever yes! Just come home to me.” 

“There’s nothing in the world that will stop me. I love you.”

“I love you.”   
Lexa reluctantly clicked the phone off and made herself breathe again.

“Congratulations are in order?”   
Rachel asked, moving forward slowly, recognizing how shaken Lexa was.

Lexa breathed a short laugh.  
“Yeah. Wow, I didn’t think that would actually happen.”   
She shook her head, clearing out the fog of the moment.   
“Get us home Doc.”   
She steeled herself, pulling a silver band out of her uniform’s chest pocket and slipping it onto her pinky. It was fitted for Clarke’s finger which was smaller than her own, but she felt like she should wear it now until she could give it to her fiancee.

* * *

**Two Months later: Baltimore Harbor**

“Commander?”

“Lexa. Thank you for joining me. You know we’re going ashore to meet Granderson?”

“Yes sir.”

“I know we’re home, and you aren’t Navy, you have the right to walk away at any time, I won’t stop you, I know you have family to look for. But If you’d like to stay on, I would sure appreciate the added security for the Doc.” 

Lexa had already assured Rachel that she would see her safely to the lab they were promised for producing the vaccine, but was pleased that the captain had asked. 

“Sir. My assignment isn’t over until Doctor Scott is safe in that lab. Until that happens I am still on your crew. But frankly sir?”   
she waited for his nod of permission.  
“My enlistment has been up for almost two months, and I’ll still follow you wherever you need me sir. You’re the best commander I’ve ever had the privilege of serving with, we wouldn’t have made it home without you. I just wanted you to know I’m grateful to you for that.” 

Chandler clapped a hand on the Marine’s shoulder in thanks, then presented a formal salute which she returned.   
“One thing though?” 

She asked hesitantly as the commander turned back to the bridge’s window.

“Yes?”

“When Rachel is safe, I have to find Clarke. I know it’s a lot to ask, and it’s not fair to the rest of the crew for me to do it, but I would like your leave to take some of the vaccine with me. My, My mother-in-law, is a brilliant doctor, If I can get her copies of Doctor Scott’s notes and a sample, she could reverse engineer it and start production inland, get the cure to the rest of the country faster.”

“Well… That is a tall order, but we have enough on hand I think and we could definitely use a second production source, if Doctor Scott doesn’t mind sharing. What was the last headcount on your family?” 

“Thank you Sir. Eight Sir. It’s been a few weeks since coms has picked anything up from them though.” 

“You’ll get ten doses. One for mass production, eight for your family and one for whatever lucky bastard has been keeping them safe. Thank you Captain Heda. You’ve been a valuable member of this crew.”   
Chandler nodded once and dismissed Lexa with a smile.  
“Lets get to that beach Marine.”

“Yes sir!”

* * *

“Well this is damn bleak.”   
Tex commented holding his rifle straight up between his knees in the back of the SUV. Lexa was similarly situated, gun in hand, officer issue sword across her lap and her pack resting on her boots, Rachel seated between them and the commander up front with the driver from Granderson’s welcome party.

“Were you expecting a parade Tex?”   
Lexa asked the sarcastic contractor. They had become good friends since leaving Gitmo, due largely in part to his constant following on the doctor in a very patient attempt to woo her. 

“No. I was not expecting a parade Fishstick,”   
His nickname for her was born from a night of drinking vodka, stolen from the russians, and his drunken attempt to insult her for being a ‘stick in the mud’ which seemed to be important for him to point out at the time, neither of them were sure where the ‘fish’ part had come from. The attempt fell flat and the name stuck. She would miss it when she left to find Clarke.   
“But I sure as hell wasn’t expecting this.”

People were shambling through the streets with carts or suitcases, wearing medical masks or bandanas around their nose and mouth. It was impossible to tell who was sick and who was healthy, everyone kept their head down and faces covered. Most looked away from the convoy of black SUVs as they made their way through Baltimore. Lexa noted the aversion curiously. The sight was obviously familiar to these people, but why turn away? What made them so nervous about the people in cars?  
Everyone could only nod agreement, taking in the sights of this new America they’d come home to. 

When Granderson completed their tour of her building and left Rachel and Lexa standing in the lab with a dozen or so doctors and scientists, Lexa finally relaxed, her mission done.

“Captain, I’m sure you’re eager to find Clarke, I think I’ll be safe here.”   
Rachel led Lexa a few steps away from the other researchers after getting a complete hands on tour of the lab, and pulled her into a hug.   
“Thank you for keeping me alive Lexa. Go find your fiancee.”   
As she pulled back Rachel tapped the pocket of Lexa’s coat. When she checked it as she entered the hallway she found a small rectangular box resting there. Ten capped syringes and a flash drive were inside, along with a note.

_“ Captain, I know you believe that this will make you a target as you travel, so I’ll try to be discrete getting it to you, the fewer people that know you have it the better. I’ll be expecting word from you when you find Clarke. As well as an invitation to the wedding. Thank you for everything you’ve done these past months, I’m very glad that your parents put you on the Nathan James with me, I would not be here without you.”_   
_Best of luck._   
_Rachel Scott_

Lexa neatly folded the note and put it in her chest pocket then wrapped the box carefully in some spare clothes from her pack, replacing them so nothing looked out of place if it was searched.   
Something about this place seemed too good to be true, suspiciously so. She stopped in a lounge area, and dug out her phone and charger, neglected for months at sea. Her hands were shaking as she plugged the device in and powered it on, not having spoken to Clarke since the arctic, she was scared what she might learn. Clarke’s sleepy morning smile appeared on the screen as the phone came back to life and Lexa felt her heart skip just like it had when they’d met, years ago in the Dulles airport. She sat next to the outlet, back against the wall, knees to her chest. Taking a deep breath she punched the icon that was Clarke’s speed dial.

“Lexa?!”   
It wasn’t Clarke.

“Wh- Abby?!”   
Lexa shot to her feet, something was wrong. 

“My god. You’re home. Do you have it? Are you really home?”

“Abby. Where. Is. Clarke?”   
Lexa tried to speak between deep breaths, trying to keep herself calm. 

“She’s… she’s sick, Raven and Marcus too. We lost Nick already.”   
Abby’s voice came thick with tears, and Lexa’s knees weakened. Sinking to the floor, shaking, she managed to gather enough strength to speak. 

“I have the cure Abby. The cure and the vaccine. Keep her alive. I’m coming to you. Just keep her alive please. I can’t-”   
She choked, tears spilling from her eyes, her control lost at the very real possibility that she would lose Clarke.  
“I can save her. Just give me time to get to her.” 

“I’ll buy you as much time as I can. Lexa, hurry.”   
Abby pulled the phone away from her mouth to talk to someone else for a moment then returned.  
“I’m going to go check on them. Lincoln wants to talk to you.”   
She handed the phone off before Lexa could get out another word.

“Hey Baby Sis.”  
Her brother’s voice brought more tears, the gates were open and she couldn’t close them.

“Lincoln. Where are you? I’m coming to get you, I can save them.”   
Lincoln paused for a moment, shocked to hear so much emotion in his sister’s voice. 

“Uhm, Missouri. Outside of St. Louis, the Marine Corp Base. The Army wouldn’t let us in with sick people. But the Marines looked up your number and found out what you were doing, so they set us up in quarantine. They’ll be glad to know you’re coming.”

“I’ll be there tomorrow if I can. I just have to find a way out of Baltimore, something strange is going on here.” 

“Lexa, Clarke will be ok. Breathe.” 

“I’m breathing.”   
she snapped at him.

“You’re hyperventilating, I can hear it through the phone. She won’t let any of us near her unless we’ve got a hazmat suit on, and there’s no way to sterilize the phone, so she wouldn’t keep it on her once she knew she’d been exposed, in case you called after… Knowing you’re coming might just cure her all on it’s own. But she and Raven only started showing symptoms yesterday, there’s still time, they’ll be ok.”   
He paused.  
“Anya’s starting to walk.”   
He tried to distract her with stories of his daughter, named after their oldest sister who had been killed in the line of duty many years ago.   
Lexa wiped her tears away and tried to smile at the thought of a toddler version of Octavia, who she’d been told the baby could have been a clone of, waddling around a marine base. It was an amusing image, at the least, and enough to help her gather herself back to a decent level of composure. 

“I have to go Linc. I’ll be there soon, I promise.”

“Be safe Lex.”  
She hung up, finding herself still in a crumpled mess of gun, saber, cammies and tears on the floor of the employee lounge. 

“You ok, Fishstick?”   
She jumped, turning to stare at Tex leaning on the doorframe, fright obvious on her face.   
“Whoa now. Take a breath, it’s just ol’ Tex, girl. Calm down. What happened?”   
Her friend moved to help her up off of the floor. she took his hand and he pulled her into a bear hug. She let a single sob lose into his shoulder before he let her go, pushing her back to arms length and holding her there.  
“Your girl?”   
He asked with a gentle tone he was not known for. 

“Sick. I have to go.”   
Lexa held his eyes and he saw the look he’d come to know from months of watching her protect the doctor with her own life. Pure determination. 

“The doc can give you the-”   
Lexa motioned for him to be silent, he looked at her in confusion but shut his mouth. She leaned around him, checking the hallway for anyone else she hadn’t heard come along. 

“She already did. She and Chandler gave me ten doses. No one can know I have them. I don’t trust these people. The people on the streets seemed scared of them, I don’t believe Granderson is as innocent as she’s playing at. Can I trust you to not say anything?”

“Oh hell no, Cap. I’m going to talk your damn ear off all the way there.”

“You want to come with me? What about Rachel?”

“Rachel. I ain’t got a snowball’s chance in hell with Rachel. And you, You need backup. Your head ain’t on straight. Not with your girl sick, you need a clear head to go with you make sure you get there in one piece.”  
Lexa rolled her eyes, but gave him a small smile. 

“So how do we get to St. Louis?”

* * *

They boosted a car from among those parked behind the lab, Tex gravitating towards a classic Camaro. Lexa complained about the gas milage, wanting to make as few stops as possible, But Tex insisted they wanted top speed over all else. He won his way as he was the only one who knew how to hotwire a car, or at least, remembered how. He laughed when Lexa explained how she’d stolen a car from her father’s new girlfriend when she was thirteen and her sister had taken the fall for her. 

“Lemme guess, they found out anyway and sent you off to military school?”   
Tex looked at her doubtfully, disbelieving that she had ever been a trouble child. 

“I actually chose military school. Anya was KIA, I was pretty messed up for a long time after that, I thought I had to prove something to her I guess. My father never did find out about the car.”  
She smiled at the memory, then remembered that her father was gone. She knew she should check on her mother, but she couldn’t think of anything but getting to Clarke in time. 

“Catch some shut eye Fishstick, I’ll wake you up when it’s your turn to drive.”   
Lexa resisted, but a few miles outside of the city her eyelids won out. 

She woke in darkness. The car was stopped, driver’s seat empty, door open. Lexa grabbed for her sword, having stashed the rifles in the trunk. 

“Tex?”   
she hissed a whisper trying to find her friend through the dusty windows. His voice suddenly raised from behind the car Lexa opened her door and peered around to see what was happening. They were parked in an abandoned gas station, but the pumps seemed to still be functioning. the click of the automatic stop drew the attention of Tex and the man who was aiming a gun at him. Caught halfway out of the vehicle, Lexa jumped to Tex’s side, sword drawn.  
The gunman laughed until he recognised the US Marines patches on her uniform. 

“Look pal, we’re just stopping for gas, we’re paying for it, we’re not sick. There is no need for the gun.”

“It’s mine, you can’t have it, you’re trespassing.”   
The man was delirious. 

“He’s sick Tex.”   
Lexa whispered. stepping toward the man. Tex’s hand on her shoulder held her back. 

“Buddy, this is a gas station, we’re gonna take what we’re paying for and get on our way, alright? Put the gun down.”

The hammer of the pistol clicked back and Lexa stepped in front of her friend. 

“Cap!”   
He hissed at her.

“Quiet.”   
She stepped forward again, keeping herself and her sword between the sick man and the contractor.

“Here’s the deal sir”  
she said, her voice cold as stone.   
“I’m in a hurry, and you’re in my way. That is not a place you want to be, so I’m going to give you three seconds to drop the gun, turn around and let us drive away. Tex, get in the car.”   
She continued to inch closer as she talked, slowly and deliberately closing the distance. Tex unhooked the car from the pump slowly and moved toward the driver side door. 

The man shook his gun at Tex, taking his eyes off of Lexa’s sword for one second too long. A whistle of air ended in a sick thud and the gun crashing to the ground, miraculously not firing as it hit the pavement. Lexa lunged forward and kicked the piece away, using her momentum to drive a deep slash across the man’s abdomen. He looked up at her as he collapsed to the ground, one arm ending in a stump,the other trying to hold his stomach together. 

“I warned you.”   
She whispered sliding the point of her sword through the man’s ribs into his heart.   
She pulled her weapon free, picked up the gun and returned to her seat in the car. She found a cloth in her pack and cleaned the saber before sheathing it and returning it to its place on the floor beside her feet. 

Tex just stared until she looked at him, the same cold look still on her face. 

“Lexa, this is America, you just killed an American citizen. On our own soil.” 

He assumed this was some sort of post traumatic break, having known many former soldiers who would attack friends and family thinking they were the enemy.

“America is gone Tex. All this is is unclaimed property now. The government is gone, law is gone, and that man was dead anyway. He was out of his mind and he would have killed us. I have to get to Clarke, and he would have stopped me. I wasn’t going to let that happen. This is not the America we sailed away from. This is every man for himself and this is me getting this cure to Clarke. Are you going to drive or do I have to?”   
Her voice never changed as she stared out the windshield of the car at the parking lot. 

“You have extra doses!” 

“And I’m supposed to use them on hostile strangers who wave guns at my friends?

“You could have offered, bargained with him. Something!” 

“What’s the deal here Tex, I’ve seen you kill a man before. This is still war, just like the Russians. There’s something standing between me and Clarke, I’m going to get rid of it. There’s no America, the Corp has no one to answer to, so I answer to me, and to Clarke. If that’s a problem for you…”

“No, I get it, alright, I get it.”   
He turned the engine over and pulled back onto the open road. The dash clock read 11:30 pm. 

“You’ve been driving for six hours Tex. Let me take it from here.”

“You know, I think I’ve got it Fishstick. Wouldn’t want you to kill a cop that still thought he lived in America and had speed limits to enforce.”

“You’ve been driving for six hours at what I can only assume is over eighty miles per hour and you think we’re going to run into highway patrol?”

“We’ll be in St. Louis by morning. Call your mother.”   
He ignored her.

She did, no one answered.

* * *

The sun was rising behind them when Lexa turned the camaro onto the base's long entrance road. Tex had finally conceded to let her drive after a few more hours of over 100 mile per hour driving. 

"Stop the vehicle and step out slowly, hands up!"  
A voice on a speaker boomed as they approached the gate. Marines in as masks approached, weapons drawn and trained on either door. Lexa stopped the car, leaving it in neutral before opening her door. 

"I am Captain Alexandria Heda, I was told you were expecting me! My companion and I are not sick."   
Lexa held her sheathed sword out the door as a means of identifying herself as a marine officer as she called out her identification number. she slid the sword onto the top of the car and stepped out, still holding her hands up. Tex followed suit, placing the stolen pistol on the roof of the car and stepping away from it.   
Two marines stepped forward, lowering their guns, but keeping their masks on.

"Your CO has my family in quarantine. I need to get to them as soon as possible."  
Lexa stated, noting that neither of the enlisted men took notice of her rank with the proper salute or greeting. 

"Corporal, Open this gate and direct me to your CO and my family."

"Yes. sir."   
the corporal saluted grudgingly, Lexa could see a look of contempt past the plastic shield of his mask.   
"You're going to get us all killed."   
He muttered.

"Enough Marine!"   
She snapped.  
"Whatever your personal feelings are, I outrank you and you will show me the proper respect, or I will have you brought up for insubordination. Now. Open this gate." 

He hit button on his walkie and called in for the gatehouse to open up.

"Sir."   
he saluted properly this time, motioning for her and Tex to to return to the car.  
"The LC is waiting for you in B6, we've got it set up as the quarantine zone."   
he pointed in the vague direction that building B6 could be found in and stepped back to his post.   
Lexa pulled the car door shut with a slam, shaking her head. 

"Your people haven't told them that there’s a cure then." Tex muttered. 

"That or they don't believe it. Either way, These men have lost their families and loved ones, and mine are here, sick, putting them in harms way. they don't see how that's fair. and it’s not. I just had the good fortune to have people in higher places looking out for me and mine. let them hate me. I couldn't save everyone, I don't exactly deserve to be able to save my family while all of theirs have suffered and died, but that’s how it played out. That's how our lives are now."

Tex just gaped at her, the switch from reckless to compassionate was startling to him.  
After years of navigation marine bases, B6 wasn't hard to find. she pulled the car up and ran to the trunk ripping into her pack to find the syringes. As she pulled the box out of it's protective wrappings, the Lieutenant Colonel stepped out of the building's nondescript entrance. 

"Captain."

"Sir."   
She saluted her superior, still clutching the box. 

"Please tell me these people aren't lying to save their skins. Do you have a cure? The Navy actually brought a cure in to Baltimore?"

"Yes sir, I have enough for Doctor Griffin to start replication and mass producing it here if you can get her a lab, I'm sure she'll have enough for your entire base by the end of the week."   
She opened the box and pulled one syringe out, handing it carefully to the LC.   
"Vaccine and Cure. Thank you for keeping my family safe sir. May I see them now?" 

"Of course, third door on the left inside. Thank you Major."   
He opened the door, and Lexa paused half a step through. 

"Sir?"

"I believe being a national hero deserves a promotion Marine, and as there is no POTUS, as your superior officer and CO of this base, I have the authority to promote as I see fit. You've earned your leaves Heda. Now go help your family."

Lexa held a formal salute to him for a moment then rushed down the hallway. Tex followed her nodding to the Lieutenant Colonel as he passed.  
He caught up to her as she stood shaking at the door she had been let to, hand hovering over the knob. 

"What is it, nine months since you've seen them? Scared Fishstick?"   
Tex put a hand on her shoulder and turned the knob for her with his other hand, stepping back as the door swung open.   
The room was dark except for a light coming under a door on the opposite wall. the linoleum floor reflected the light further into the room, enough that Lexa recognised it as a dormitory. there were sleeping forms on three beds, two of them pushed close so they could hold one another. Lincoln and Octavia. Abby must have been the third sleeping form. Lexa stepped quietly through the room, suddenly aware of how exhausted they must all be, months outrunning a deadly virus, only to be have it catch up with them anyway. Instinctively she knew that Clarke would be on the other side of the other door, in a quarantined room, surrounded by plastic and sterilized tools, tubes and wires monitoring everything. Tex took a seat on the cot closest to the Quarantine room door, and watched as Lexa opened this one herself. 

Three beds occupied the room, each with it's own monitor and IV trying it's best to keep each occupant alive. Lexa bit back tears as her eyes came to rest on her love, golden hair dark with sweat and eyes sunken and bruised. she could see the Red Flu's signature rash spreading up Clarke's delicate neck and along her bare arms. 

She was sleeping and Lexa almost didn't want to wake her to the pain that she must be feeling, but she couldn't stay away a second longer. Three long strides into the room and she was kneeling by Clarke’s bedside, pulling one of her feverish hands into both of her own and bringing it to her lips. Clarke's eyelids fluttered slightly and Lexa jumped to her feet once again, never letting go of Clarke's hand. 

"Mom?"   
Clarke asked groggily without opening her eyes.

"No baby, it's me. I'm here Clarke. Clarke, my love, wake up baby, I'm here."   
Lexa sat next to her on the bed, pushing sticky strands of hair off of her face, and kissing her fingers lightly between whispers.  
Eyes opened this time, not wide, but enough to see that she wasn't dreaming. 

"Lexa?!"   
Clarke cried out, her voice dry and cracking, but loud in the quiet room.

"You're home. You're here. This is real?"  
Clarke reached her free hand up to touch Lexa's face, the light touch was warm from fever but it sent chills down Lexa's spine. 

"I told you I'd come home to you, Clarke. I promised. You're gonna be ok."  
Panic flashed on Clarke's face.

"No! I'm sick, Lex, you can't be here, you'll get it, you can’t die too!"   
Tears flooded her cheeks and Lexa tried her best to wipe them away as they fell. 

"Shhh, quiet love, it's ok, I have the cure. No one's dying. I can't catch it, and you're going to be just fine." 

Clarke levered herself into a sitting position and wrapped her arms over Lexas shoulders, holding her tight, muttering promises to never let go between sobs.   
Lexa held her like that for long minutes, until a strong hand dropped onto her back.

"Lincoln!"   
she turned to look up at her older brother, whose own eyes were threatening to spill over. 

"Lexa. You made it."   
he leaned over and gave his baby sister a kiss on the top of her head, grabbing the box that she'd set behind her on the bed as he straightened.   
"This is it? The cure?"   
He asked, sliding the syringes out of the box. 

"Yeah, there's enough for everyone. Could you?"   
she nodded to the crying woman in her arms. reluctantly pushing her back into her pillows. Lincoln came around the other side of the bed, uncapping the needle and grabbing an alcohol swab from a jar on an instrument tray nearby. He quickly administered Clarke's dose as Lex held her eyes, leaning their foreheads together. 

"I'll get Raven and Marcus."  
Lincoln said, taking the box of vaccine, his Paramedic instincts and training taking over. Lexa could only nod, pulling Clarke close again, kissing her sweat soaked temple as the cure took effect, making her very sleepy again. Clarke dozed on Lexa's shoulder as the marine watched her brother administer to their friends. Marcus woke up with a scream as Lincoln wiped down the vein in his arm for the needle, fever dreams making him believe something horrible was happening. Abby burst into the room and was instantly at his side before she even took in what had changed. 

"Lincoln, what are you doing?"   
she asked almost violently, simultaneously worried for the minister and her son in law. Lincoln nodded in the direction of Clarke's bed, and Abby finally took notice of Lexa sitting there, cradling her daughter.   
"Oh thank god. "   
Abby turned back to Kane, soothing him.  
"Marcus, relax, it's just the fever, Lincoln is giving you the cure, Lexa made it, you're going to be fine."

"Abby, what's wrong- Lexa!"   
Octavia stood in the doorway, Tex behind her watching silently, baby on her hip, too cautious to step into the room and risk Anya’s health.

Lexa gently laid a now sleeping Clarke back down into her bed and crossed the room to her sister in law and niece. Octavia threw her free arm around her, letting all her worry and tension go as she held her tightly. when she pulled back Lexa's eyes fell to the infant in her arms. 

"Anya, meet your Auntie Lexa, she just saved the world."   
Octavia told her daughter as she handed her over to her aunt for the first time. Lexa's eyes, still not dry from the emotion of seeing Clarke again, let tears flow again as she held the baby up, and gave her a kiss on the forehead. 

"Hello Anya, beautiful girl, I'm so glad to finally meet you."   
Lexa held her close, swaying from side to side as what seemed natural to her dictated.

Lincoln appeared at his wife's side two more syringes in hand. He quickly dosed Octavia then very carefully measured a small amount out for Anya, making sure he got the dosage for an infant her weight just right. The little girl didn't even flinch as he gave her the shot, preoccupied as she was with the silver pins on her aunt's uniform. 

“You’re a brave little one aren’t you?”   
Lexa smiled at her niece and used her free hand to pull a pin off her collar. She stepped up to the door frame and used the metal hinge to break the sharp post off the back then handed the silver bars to the baby, making sure she didn’t put them in her mouth.   
“I’ll put it on a chain for you later Captain Anya.”  
She crooned softly, bouncing the little girl slightly as she waved her new prize joyfully in the air. 

“When did you get good with kids?” a raspy voice asked from behind her.

“I didn’t think I was. Hey Raven.”   
Lexa handed the little girl off to her mother and closed the distance between herself and her   
friend. 

“I’m gonna live?”

“Was that ever a question? You’ve survived worse, I don’t think anything can kill you honestly.”   
Lexa smiled. 

Raven was unstoppable, and Lexa truly believed that if anyone could survive the Red Flu without the cure, it would have been Raven. Though she hadn’t been willing to test her theory. She patted her friend’s hand and turned to see Abby crossing the room toward her. she met her future mother-in-law halfway and was wrapped in yet another relieved, exhausted hug. 

“Mom”   
Lexa said with gentle sarcasm, knowing it would make Abby smile, a reminder that Clarke would live. 

“You’re going to have to do that proposal right young lady.”   
Abby laughed, pushing her away with a smile. 

“It was perfect mom.”   
Clarke murmured softly, sitting up sleepily in her bed, and Lexa was instantly at her side.   
“Well, almost perfect.”   
She smiled slyly up at her girlfriend and held up her left hand. Lexa grinned, fumbling to slide the band off of her pinky finger where it had lived since she had last talked to Clarke, back in the Arctic. She took Clarke’s waiting hand and slid the ring onto the finger it had been made for, sealing it there with a kiss. 

“Marry me?”  
She asked again, sinking to one knee beside the bed, holding Clarke’s eyes with her own, and not releasing her hand. 

“Yes. Forever Yes.”   
The same answer, the words Lexa had played over and over in her head alone in her bunk for months. Clarke pulled Lexa back up and into her arms.  
“Just never leave me again.” 

“Nothing in the world could make me.”   
She tentatively placed a kiss on Clarke’s lips, part of her terrified that she would break.

“Stop that.”   
Clarke whispered against her lips, as if reading her worry in the kiss. She felt her strength returning second by second, and she knew it was just being this close to Lexa, her presence alone was all the cure she needed. She drew Lexa into a long kiss, losing herself and letting the months of worry and fear melt away as they each found their soul again in the other. 

“Get a room”   
Raven coughed from the next bed over. Clarke smiled into Lexa’s lips but refused to break away, giving Raven two middle fingers from the hands that were wrapped behind Lexa’s neck.   
Lexa broke the kiss at last, feeling alive again for the first time in months. Tex whooped from the door.

“Atta girl Fishstick!”  
Lexa bit her lip and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling.

“Nothing but the need to kill Tex at this exact moment.”   
she grumbled 

“Who is this guy?”   
Octavia asked, switching Anya to the opposite hip, further away from the loud cowboy. 

“We picked him up in Gitmo, haven’t been able to shake him since.”   
Lexa shook her head with a smile, grateful that Tex seemed to have forgiven her for the incident on the road.  
“I wouldn’t have made it here without him.”

“I wouldn’t have made it back to shore without lil’ Fish here, don’t let her paint me all noble. Fish! Marine! Fish! Fishstick!”   
Tex clapped his hands together and held them wide, as if he’d dropped a punchline and was waiting for the crowd to applaud.

Everyone in the room looked at him with varying looks of confusion and terror, thinking him insane. 

“At the risk of making it sound like we had fun at sea, I’m never letting you drink Russian Vodka again Tex. It’s really taken you this long to remember how you came up with that nickname?”   
Lexa shook her head at her friend

“Hey, you couldn’t remember either!”   
Clarke raised her eyebrows at the fiancee, both proud of her for making friends, and concerned for the sanity of said friends.

“Let’s just call the Nathan James ‘Vegas’ and leave it at ‘never talk about it again’ yeah?”   
Lexa frowned at him and he raised his hands in surrender. 

“Oh I’m going to enjoy these stories I think.”  
Clarke teased. 

“Me too!”  
Raven chimed in. Octavia nodded furiously in agreement.

“I like them.”   
Tex laughed.   
“They’ll keep you in line.” 

Lexa just put her head in her hands. Abby spoke up now, bringing the group back to reality.

“Lexa, your CDC doctor, did she give you her notes for the cure? I should get it to the rest of the base as soon as possible, they aren’t happy we’re here as it is.”

“I noticed. There’s a flash drive in the box with the extra doses. I already gave one to the Colonial, he’ll find you a lab to work from."

“It’s done actually”   
The base’s commander had been waiting in the hallway for the reunions to be over and the cures to be administered, injecting his own dose himself. 

“Major? If I could have a word with you and the Doctor? And your friend here.”   
he frowned at Tex, but correctly assumed the man wouldn’t leave Lexa’s side. 

“Major?”  
Clarke asked as Lexa stood, kissing her on the forehead with a promise to be back as soon as she could. She just shrugged.

The four of them stepped back out into the hallway, leaving the patients to rest and Lincoln and Octavia to attend to their daughter’s demands.  
The LC handed a small velvet covered box to Lexa first.

“Your leaves Major.”   
She opened the box, two shining gold leaves sat in navy blue velvet waiting to be pinned in place. she closed the box again.

“Sir, I can’t accept these. I appreciate the gesture and your praise, but my tour ended on the Nathan James, and, well I think it’s time I retire sir. The truth is, there isn’t a United States anymore, there won’t be for a long time in the aftermath of this.” 

The older Marine took the box back from her, removed a pin from it and tacked it into place where the silver tracks she’d given to Anya had been.

“That’s why we need good Marines, Heda. I can’t grant your request for retirement, but I can place you in Reserve if you accept the promotion and resign your contract. I know you’ve been through hell to bring this cure home, you deserve a long leave, I’ll grant that. But this country, or what it will become is going to need strong leaders in the coming months. The politicals are fighting to fill the power vacuum and I intend to keep them in line until we have an America again. There’s not much left of our old world, you’re right, but we’re marines, we are America’s finest and we should be the ones to help see her heal. Can you help me with that Major?”

Lexa looked from Abby to Tex to the other pin in the box. Tex nodded, Abby just shrugged, knowing the decision had been made. Lexa unpinned her other set of silver tracks and replaced them with the second gold leaf. She received a stiff salute and returned it with one of her own. 

“We can work on the legals later. Thank you Major. Now we need to get this cure out. I’ve contacted some of the other local military and police forces that are still functioning, they’re sending as many researchers and doctors as they can. we have a medical research lab secured a few miles off base and it can be ready in a few hours to start manufacturing. Is there anything you can think of that you’ll need us to get for you Doctor Griffin?” 

“I would like to talk to the Doctor who made the cure, in Baltimore. Doctor Scott?”   
Abby looked to Lexa who nodded. 

“Rachel is expecting us to check in.”   
She remembered the note in her pocket. 

“I’ll work on getting vidcon up with Baltimore then. You’re all welcome to make this Bunk your home for now if you’d like to spread out, there are some officer quarters off the main hallway around the corner if you’d like larger rooms to yourselves. I apologize for the cramped quarantine.” 

“Completely understandable Lieutenant Colonel.”   
Abby said graciously.  
“Thank you for everything.”

He nodded, turning to leave, assuring them he would return when the lab was secured and ready or he had a connection with Baltimore. 

“Well Major Fishstick, what now?”  
Tex asked when he was gone. 

“go find yourself a room and a shower Tex. you want to look pretty and rested for our video call with Rachel don’t you?”   
She teased

“Oh bite me. I’ll go get our packs.”   
Tex frowned and left her standing there with her mother-in-law. 

“I should go check on Clarke, she’s going to kill me for these.”   
she fiddled with a gold leaf on her collar, knowing that Clarke would have preferred she retire. She turned to go back to the dormitory room but Abby gripped her in another strong hug. It took Lexa a moment to realize that the older woman was crying .

“Abby?”

“Thank you for saving her Lexa. For saving all of us. I couldn’t lose anyone else. Bellamy-”  
Her voice broke, her adoptive son was likely lost, and she’d almost lost her daughter and the man she loved as well as another child she’d practically raised.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t save everyone. I’m sorry it took so long.” 

“Don’t you dare be sorry, you’re nothing short of a miracle Lexa. I’ve never felt so helpless in my life, but Clarke believed in you and kept me going, you saved us, and I can never repay that. I’m proud to call you my daughter.”   
Abby pulled away and straightened Lexa’s collar and jacket, smoothing any wrinkles she could manage, Lexa smiling patiently at her. She stopped at a dark stain.   
“Is this blood? Are you hurt?!”

She was suddenly alarmed. Lexa could only look at her feet, remembering the blind rage she’d felt as she killed the man at the gas station the night before.

“It’s not mine.”   
Was all she said, turning back to the door.

* * *

“It should clear up in a day or two, don’t scratch it.”   
Lexa scolded as Clarke scratched the red rash crawling up her arms like angry vines. 

“It didn’t itch before! Why does it itch now?”

“Probably because you don’t have a fever and internal hemorrhaging distracting you from the itchy rash. Please leave it alone Love. And get back in bed!” 

Clarke pouted at her fiancee, wandering over to her chair and dropping herself into Lexa’s lap. 

“I’ve been in bed for three days, I want to go outside, or just walk, anything but lay in bed and ‘rest’” 

Lexa put the papers she had been trying to read aside and wrapped her arms around Clarke’s waist. 

And I don’t want to do this paperwork, but here we are. When you’re back to one hundred percent we can go to the lab and help your mother. You know I don’t like staying still either, but you almost died, and I’m not letting you push yourself too hard too fast.”

“I’m not going to break Lexa!”   
Clarke shoved Lexa’s shoulders, trying to climb off her lap in frustration. Lexa held her with strong arms, leveling her gaze until she held Clarke’s eyes and she stopped struggling.

“Humor me sweetheart. I’ve seen too much, too many people lost to this thing. I can’t lose you too. Let me recover at least. If you won’t let yourself.”

Clarke’s wild eyes softened, knowing how hard it was for Lexa to admit when she was hurting.

“It was really bad out there wasn’t it?”  
she asked, smoothing Lexa’s hair, still damp from their shower earlier that morning. 

“I have new nightmares now.”   
she sighed, resting her cheek in Clarke’s palm, taking comfort in the contact.  
“I don’t think anyone on that ship will ever sleep well again.”  
“Do you want to tell me about it?” 

“Eventually Clarke. I will. I promise. I know better than to keep it all inside anymore, but I can’t even process where to start. I’m not sure which was worse, the virus, or trying to keep Rachel alive when everyone left wanted her dead or for themselves. The Russians nuked France to just to run us to ground so they could get her.” 

Clarke held Lexa’s face between her palms, taking in every detail, the dark circles of worry under her eyes, the split corner of her lip from chewing on it, a recent gash under her eye that was halfway healed. Her green eyes were sad and filled with pain, and Clarke knew there was no miracle cure for this like there had been for her. 

“Come to bed babe, I’ll rest if you do. Sleep. I’ll protect you for a change ok?” 

Lexa only nodded, letting herself be led to the bed they had claimed in an officer’s room. 

“I love you”

“I love you too.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Season Two from Lexa and Clarke's points of view.
> 
> Warning: The Last Ship: Season Two Spoilers

"Hey there Major Fish!"   
The reception was crackly but it was definitely Tex. 

"Hey old timer."  
Lexa jabbed in return.  
"Been a while. Are you back to shore?" 

Tex had bolted back to Baltimore as soon as he could, the call to Rachel setting him on edge with the same suspicions that Lexa had felt when they left. He had managed to contact her when he rejoined the crew of the Nathan James and they had found the remaining civilian labs, updating her on the coup they had played on Granderson. 

"Florida. Chasing down some new scum of the earth. How's Saint Louis?" 

"Boring actually. It almost feels like the world's gone back to normal. I took my niece to a park yesterday, how weird is that? Like nothing happened. Just me and Anya and a few dozen other kids. Healthy kids. I tell ya Tex, it's surreal."   
Lexa sank into an armchair. It was base housing, and it had belonged to someone else, but it was home now and it was starting to feel normal.   
Tex laughed, the picture of Lexa living a quiet life had never occurred to him.

"Your girl making you settle down, is that it?"

"Clarke, oh no, she's decided to break into politics. Turns out it's a lot easier when the opposition has been wiped out and you're the only Bar certified lawyer in the state. Of course, there's no one to answer to, so it's been a struggle convincing people she's not some power hungry dictator in the wings."   
She laughed. Clarke was out at what could be called a city council meeting, trying to organize the people of Saint Louis. It hadn't even been something she'd chose, per say, but when she was the first and only one to step up to the task, Saint Louis' survivors looked to her to lead them. Lexa liked her version though, it made up for the mundane quality her own life had taken on.   
"Speaking of shady dictators, have you heard anything about this Ramsay guy?"

"That's who we're after. His people took out a CDC hospital ship we were hoping to add to the fleet for the doc. Not sure why, but I'll let you know when I figure it out."   
Tex pulled the receiver away from his mouth to talk to someone, returning a moment later with a quick goodbye, explaining that they were on the move and going dark.

"Knock'em dead Tex."  
Lexa murmured to a dead line, settling back into her chair

* * *

The ground shook, the air was suddenly heavy, and Lexa was forced to steady herself on the door jamb as she stepped out to the porch to greet Clarke home. The sound wave hit as soon as Clarke reached her, gripped hands dropped to cover ears, and pain gripped the two women as the blast passed over their heads. 

"What the fuck was that?"   
Lexa ran her hands along Clarke's arms, stroking her face free of the panic she found there.

"The labs."   
Her eyes widened as the thought dawned on her and she took off, sprinting for the bases main complex before Clarke could ask what she meant. 

"Lexa!"   
Clarke chased her to the end of the driveway before Lexa stopped to turn.

"Get in the house and lock the door."   
Lexa snapped and Clarke scowled at being ordered around like another marine. All she could do was comply, grumpily stomping back to the house as Lexa took off around the block again.

_Act_

Her body acted on its own, adrenalin pumping, thoughts laser focused on one thing and one thing only. 

_Act_

Lexa ran. 

The base's main complex was only a few blocks away and she noticed the streets and neighboring driveways crowding with people looking toward a plume of smoke that was reaching up into the sky.   
She rounded the corner to the main plaza , a wide brick courtyard filled with relief tents and, at the moment, half of the bases new residents. 

"Major!"   
A booming voice caught her attention and she veered toward her commanding officer.

"Colonel Woods! It’s the lab."   
She rushed to speak before he could say another word.

"What makes you think so?"  
He seemed startled by her conclusion.

"I spoke with Tex today, from the Nathan James. He said that a radical group took out a CDC hospital ship. I think they mean to take out all the labs. The James is on mission to bring them down right now, but that smoke, that's our eastern lab. The one the CDC set up. It has to be."

"If their aim is to destroy our labs, why not hit both?"   
The Colonel was skeptical, it seemed like a stretch, even with info from the navy ship.

"I'm guessing sir, but I think their targets are on some list or memo, that's the only way they would have found a hospital ship out at sea. Our second lab, the one you set up for Doctor Griffin, it wouldn't be on whatever list the armed forces and CDC put together before the country went to hell. If I'm right sir, this was large scale, they probably hit every mark on that list at once. We might have the only remaining lab in the country."   
She tried to sound confident as she spoke, but her certainty was waning. Lexa felt small, standing next to the man who should be Commandant in her civilian clothes. Next to the tall, broad shouldered marine, eagles pinned to his starched collar, her theory sounded more like some spun fantasy, even to her own ears. 

"For everyone's sake, I hope you're wrong, Heda."   
For a moment he simply stared past her at the pillar of smoke and the gathered, increasingly panicked crowd.   
"But I don't believe that you are."   
He muttered, stepping toward the group with purpose.   
He turned a few steps away and returned to Lexa's side.   
"I hate to cut your vacation short Major, but I need you on this. You've been out there, and you know the Navy crew better than anyone. Can you do this for me?" 

The colonel had became a friend in the past weeks, even going so far as to have her, Clarke and the rest of their family for dinner on occasion. Lexa knew it had started as gratitude for delivering the cure to the base when it had been so near anarchy, but she could also see the sincere apology in the older Marine's eyes as he asked her to end the extended leave he had granted her to take on a potentially dangerous mission. 

"Of course Colonel. But I need to, uh, change first."   
She looked at her feet sheepishly, realizing she'd taken off without shoes and mentally scolding herself for appearing so unkempt in front of a superior.   
He laughed, nodding back toward the direction she had come in way of dismissal.   
"Oh! And sir?"  
He turned once again.  
"Doctor Griffin. Do you know where she was today?" 

Her voice shook as she asked. She had been terrified to even think of the possibility, but she knew she couldn't return to Clarke without knowing. Abby had been alternating between the hospital, the base's cure station and the two labs, working tirelessly to do what she could, wherever she could. Lexa could never keep track of her, and the thought that she might have been in the Eastern Lab was nearly panic inducing. 

"I'm right here Lexa!"  
Her mother-in-law's familiar voice broke through the crowd from the tent along one side of the courtyard, the makeshift clinic for cure shots. 

"Abby! Thank god."   
She nodded a quick thank you to the Colonel and rushed to the Doctor's arms.   
"Come back to the house, Clarke will be panicking by now." 

"I take it you left in a hurry."   
Abby was unfazed, and Lexa assumed her brain wouldn't let her process the implications of the bombing just yet. Denial, the brains best defense mechanism. One of the four places that the doctor spent all of her time was now likely a heap of smouldering rubble and ruin, and that was too close. After her tours and her time aboard the Nathan James, Lexa was used to close calls, but Abby, Abby's world had only recently turned into the war zone that it was today and Lexa knew it wouldn't hit her until much later. She just hoped it would be gentle on her.

* * *

"This is Major Heda, Marine Base: Saint Louis, Hailing USS Nathan James. Do you read? Over." 

_'Thirtieth times the charm right?'_

She tried again. 

"Heda! Good to hear your voice. Tell me you've got good news."   
Slattery's voice filled the small coms room so suddenly that Lexa almost lost her seat. Exhaustion from a day's worth of search and rescue amid flames and falling concrete was forgotten in a heartbeat as she recovered. 

"Commander Slattery! I was starting to think you'd been sunk."   
Relief only got her so far in eloquence.

"We've had a bit of a missile crisis on our hands, but I expect you know that don't you? How'd ol' Saint Louie fair?"

"We only lost one lab sir. The other is still at one hundred."   
Lexa informed him with the smallest hint of pride. Glad she could bring at least a small bit of good news on what was clearly an all around horrible day. 

"Nothing short of a miracle."   
She heard him sigh with relief.

"I need to know sir, what's going on? How many other labs were hit? We haven't been able to reestablish contact with any of the others in the network, and Cincinnati's gone completely dark. How bad is it?"  
Woods had given her a job, celebrating the survival of her friends at sea would have to wait. 

"They hit 'em all. You're the first to respond." 

"I hope you hit 'em back hard."   
Lexa did her best to boost his bleak outlook, appealing to his inner cop's desire to solve a problem like this with his fists.

"Oh we will. Dealt them a pretty big blow today, but we've gotta end these sons'a'bitches." 

"Point me in the right direction sir, and I'll put a bullet right between their eyes." 

"Might take you up on that Heda."   
Slattery laughed.   
"Work to do, gonna have to cut it short Marine, apologies." 

"Sir!"   
She rushed to be heard before he disconnected. 

"Yeah?"

"I meant it. I want in on this."   
It was impulsive, but that thought didn't hit her until she was waiting for Slattery to react. 

"I'll talk to the Captain. Get back to you soon Heda. Keep safe."   
The com switched off from the ship's end and Lexa was left with dead air.

For a moment

"No!" 

"Clarke!"

"No way in hell."   
Clarke stormed into the small coms room, as angry and determined as Lexa had ever seen her. 

"You're not going back out there!"   
She was red with rage as she rounded on Lexa. 

"Clarke..."   
Lexa's voice dropped in warning in the short space she was allowed. 

"No!"   
Clarke cut her off again.  
"You don't get to give me the 'I know what I'm doing' speech. You can't give me a 'semper fi' and march off to battle. You are not doing this again!"

"Clarke!"  
Lexa stood, deliberately, slowly, controlled. None of the anger dancing under her skin showed as she leveled her gaze. Clarke's brow furrowed, she'd expected rage, she'd expected the stubborn set of her jaw, clenched fists, steel eyes. She got none of it. 

"I'm doing this for you. You know I have to-"

"You promised you wouldn't leave!"

"And before that, I promised to protect this country!"  
The calm broke.   
"This country that was attacked today! An attack that could have killed your mother. I have a job, I have a necessary skill and I have to keep you and our family safe."

"You want to go back to sea, put yourself in immediate danger... For me?! You think I buy that?!"   
Clarke pushed further into the room, her own rage forcing Lexa to step back toward the instrument panel.   
"You know what? I get that you want to do your protect and serve business, save the world, all that. That's you. That's how you are, I get that. I love that. But when the hell are you going to think of yourself?!"

Lexa froze, confused.

"Forget that you're breaking your promise, forget me for a second. You're not going because you're not ok! You're still muttering in your sleep about the Russians and the virus and now you want to charge off and fight mad bombers. You'll get yourself killed. I don't care if you want to go back and blow these bastards away, I actually want you to, because yeah, they killed hundreds of people today and my mom could have been one of them, but not now. When you're ready. When you can handle it. Not now."

Lexa fell back against the console in shock, Clarke's words reaching a blocked off part of her mind. The part that told her that she was hurting, that she was still healing. The part that was scared that she needed a gun in her hand to feel like she had a purpose.   
She dropped into her chair in defeat, running a hand over her face as she processed her next sentence.

"You're right."   
She sighed, reaching for Clarke's hands to ask forgiveness.  
"You're always right. I'd be a liability out there."   
Clarke's eyes softened, a sad smile working its way across her face as she pulled another chair close and sat across from Lexa, clasping her hands in the space between them.   
"But what am I if I can't help? I'm useless here, I'm a liability out there, what am I supposed to do?" 

"Useless? Babe, you are far from useless. Everyone here knows what you did. They respect you. Half the time I think they only listen to me because of you. And Colonel Woods trusts you. You've heard him, you're his top choice for second in command of this whole base. I know it's not your speed, but it's far from useless."  
It was hard to feel self pity with Clarke talking like that but only a small part of Lexa wanted her to stop. 

"Thank you."   
Lexa brought Clarke's hand to her lips, placing small kisses there until Clarke shifted to rest her palm against Lexa's cheek. 

"You're a hero Lexa. Mine and everyone else's. You've already saved the world once, I think you've earned some time to put yourself back together."   
Light fingers tapped at her temple as Clarke spoke and she knew she would feel them there every time she had to remind herself that she wasn't invincible.

"Now come on, Octavia is making dinner and we're going to be late. I came to escort you."   
Clarke pulled away and jumped out of her chair, offering a grin and her hand once more to help Lexa to her feet. 

"I was wondering why you were eavesdropping."   
Lexa commented flatly, a small smile playing at her lips as she followed dutifully as Clarke pulled her out of the room.

-

"Look who's back in uniform. Hey stranger!"   
Lexa was wrapped in a strong hug as soon as she stepped through the door of Lincoln and Octavia's home. 

"Raven! We expected you back a week ago, what took you so long?"   
She laughed, embracing her friend.  
"Got stuck somewhere in Utah for a couple days. Gas is a lot harder to come by now."   
Lexa's eyes clouded for a moment with an unpleasant memory of a dark night and a gas station that should have been abandoned. 

"Yeah."  
She brightened again.  
"Well I'm glad you're back. What's the news from California?"

"Hardly worth the trip, but let's save that conversation for later, yeah? Dinner is ready and I'm starving."   
Raven's face fell for a split second at the mention of her destination, but she recovered quickly and left Lexa and Clarke in the entry to retreat into the dining room behind her. 

As soon as she had recovered from the virus she had gone in search of friends, and Lexa suspected that she hadn't found what she had been hoping to find. 

More lost lives to add to the list.

“Where’s your head?” Clarke checked, brushing her fingers down Lexa’s arm as her eyes unfocused for a moment with the thought. Lexa blinked and she was back.

“Right here. I’m ok. Lets eat.”

* * *

"Chosen ones."   
Lexa scoffed, gesturing angrily at Clarke's phone as the video message played again.

"I thought the meek were supposed to inherit the earth, not the self-righteous, overinflated, egotistical elitists. If anyone's chosen, it's everyone who's lived through this and is still humble about it."   
She stomped to the sofa along the wall of Clarke's office. 

The room was huge, a repurposed conference room in a hotel near the base, so Clarke had plenty of space to meet with larger groups of people, neighborhoods and churches and anyone else who wanted their opinion heard by their unofficially elected representative. Most of the time, Clarke hated the big emptiness of the room, but when Lexa was being dramatic and pacing along the walls or storming to the sofa to seeth in comfort, it was worth the periods of echoing silence.   
She had a point, and was rightfully angry of course, but her delivery made Clarke smile, a small breathy laugh escaping her lips. Lexa scowled at her and she held her hands up in surrender, still clutching her phone and staying safely behind her desk in case of stray scalding remarks. 

"They expect everyone to believe that the Navy is behind all this shit?"

"People are scared. They'll believe anything if it's delivered correctly. And he's a good speaker. People who knew about the labs, they won't buy it, but that leaves a lot of the country still in the dark."

"To soak this poison right up. Check and mate. We're screwed."   
Lexa sighed, knowing that Clarke was right, as usual. 

"Hey, that video was faked right?"   
Octavia strolled in casually, as though she hadn't just bullied her way past the two marines Lexa had stationed at the door. 

"Of course it's fucking fake!"   
Lexa snapped, her momentary feeling of defeat eclipsed by her pride in her ship and her need to defend it. 

"Easy sister. I was ninety nine percent sure, just had to check."   
The younger woman backed away a step, retreating slowly to the door. Clarke sent a sharp glare at Lexa and waved Octavia back in with an apologetic smile. 

"You just proved my theory, she's not happy about it."   
Clarke explained, waving off Lexa's exasperated sigh.

"What?"

"If even you believe that there's a chance that footage was real, the James is as good as sunk."   
Lexa explained past her hands that were now covering her face. 

As Octavia dropped into one of the cushy conference chairs, Lexa pushed to her feet and stalked to the door. 

"I need to speak to Chandler. Sorry Clarke, nothing you can say is going to stop me this time. I'm going back."  
It was the truth, but she still paused with her hand on the door, waiting for the same defiant speech trying to forbid her.

"I wasn't going to try. But I'm going with you. I think it's time I spoke with the President."  
Clarke dropped her phone on the desk and came to stand beside her sister, daring Lexa to argue with her best politician's glare.

"You two are the definition of 'power couple'."   
Octavia muttered, looking between the two and watching Lexa's face as she tried to decide whether an argument was worth it.

Lexa settled on silently impressed and nodded, pushing her way out the door without another word. She glared at the two marines stationed outside for letting Octavia get past them, for the principle of the thing only, but they needed to see her disappointment. She allowed herself a small smirk as she rounded a corner at their muttered apologies and fearful glances up from their boots. 

_"New recruits."_

She laughed to herself and then set her mind back to how she was going to convince the Captain to let her and Clarke aboard a ship that was now a national target.

* * *

“Caught us in the middle of a bit of chaos, Marine. I'd love to stay and chat, but I have a conspiracy to crush.”   
Chandler rushed past in full tactical gear, nodding quickly and continuing across the deck, four officers in tow. 

The rush of sailors was indeed chaotic as the deck crew led them toward the interior of the ship. Lexa tried to keep from bolting after the captain, shielding a now nervous Clarke from the bustle of a ship preparing for an operation. 

“What's going on?”   
Clarke asked, hesitantly. Even though she'd grown up seeing Navy ships in the harbors, she was wildly unprepared to be aboard one, much less one at general quarters and fully battle ready. 

“Welcome to the Nathan James, where nothing is ever quiet.”  
Lexa frowned.

“It's always like this?”

“No. Something big is happening. Come on, the XO will probably be in the CIC, we'll get answers there.”   
The frown deepened, but she led the way, waving off a deck officer’s offer of an escort. She remembered the way. Every inch of the ship was etched in her memory, she ran through it in her nightmares nearly every night, she wouldn't ever forget.

“Military really likes its acronyms don't they?”   
Clarke muttered, nearly jogging to keep us as Lexa navigated with purpose. 

“It's concise.”   
A concise answer.   
Clarke rolled her eyes. 

“Care to translate?” 

Lexa found a grin in her concern and turned it in Clarke for a moment before continuing through the maze of the ship.

“CIC is the Combat Information Center. The XO, Executive Officer, or the one who's in charge while the Captain is off ship, will be there overseeing the mission. It's basically the heart of the ship.”

Clarke was reminded briefly of a time when Lexa had tried to explain the inner workings of her car to her, as she was equally as lost then. It was almost an entirely different language, and even though she didn't understand any of it, Clarke loved to hear Lexa speak in it. There was always a gentle, genuine pride under her voice when she explained things and Clarke hoped she sounded as sweet and patient when she laid out politics for Lexa. 

“See? Was that so much harder?”  
She teased and Lexa rolled her eyes with a smile, stopping at the hatch she had been looking for.

“So much.”   
Lexa drawled sarcastically.  
“Classified is pretty much out the window at this point, but this room is one hundred percent military, so you're here to watch only. Even if something happens that you completely disagree with on a cellular level, you can't do anything to change it here, ok?”   
The patient tone was still there, but she was dead serious. 

“Alright. Do you really think that's likely?”   
Clarke lowered her brows skeptically, hoping that Lexa was just making a general disclaimer. She couldn't know what was going on anyway, right?

“Right now, anything is possible.”   
Lexa shrugged and pushed open the door, signalling Clarke for quiet.   
They stepped inside and Lexa shut the hatch behind them, accepting and returning a few acknowledging salutes and nods as a few of those gathered and working turned at the interruption.   
After a moment it seemed as though they had been there forever, and work continued without hesitation. Slattery stood in the center of the room, circling to take in all the information he could. He waved Lexa over as he registered her presence, eyes still scanning the room. Another man, obviously a civilian, stood nearby, and reached out to greet them, glad for a distraction from the stressful environment of the CIC. 

“Representative Griffin. Major Heda. I'm glad to meet you. Jeff Michener.”   
He reached to shake their hands in turn, speaking quietly to not disrupt the official communication between the sailors and the commander.

“Mister President.”   
Lexa greeted formally, biting back her surprise at his presence. It must be a very serious operation if he was involved. Clarke met his handshake with a small self depreciating smile and laugh, slightly overwhelmed by his recognition, and the title he'd addressed her with.

“I'm not really an elected official sir, Clarke is fine.”

“I wasn't elected to this office either, but I have the job nonetheless. I believe you've earned the title, Clarke.”

“Thank you sir.” 

Chandler's voice cracked over the radio and the President jumped. He composed himself again as orders were relayed across the room.

“I don't think us politicians are needed here, do you?”  
He smiled kindly at Clarke, easing the look of tension he wore in every muscle.  
“If I could steal you away from the Major here, we should talk in my office. Let the Navy do their jobs.”   
He left it open as an offer, but both Clarke and Lexa could see he wanted to leave, and Clarke was of a mind to agree with him. She was learning very quickly that military operations were not something she was fond of. 

“Of course Mister President. I'll find you when I'm done here.”   
Lexa caught Clarke's nervousness at being separated and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, letting her be led away with a sigh.

From there, it was down to business. 

“Sit rep Commander?”

* * *

It was finally quiet when Clarke found Lexa. The injured were sleeping and the doctors had stepped out for much needed rest. There was nothing but the sound of sleep slowed breaths and the gulf waves that carried the ship. 

Clarke found her slumped against a wall at the end of the aisle of the makeshift hospital, staring unfocused at the floor. She waved off her escort and guard and crossed the room alone, stepping cautiously as she recognized the look on her marine’s face. 

“Hey.”   
She dropped slowly to sit next to her, the only sign of recognition being a quick flick of green eyes from the floor to her feet as she came to a stop. 

“Where's your head babe?”   
Clarke asked gently, wrapping her arms over her knees to keep from reaching out.  
It was their code, Clarke's way to bring Lexa out of whatever horror her mind had cooked up. If she had to say it out loud, she knew it couldn't be real. 

“We lost four good sailors today. Chung… Andy, was a friend.”   
The bodies had been taken away, but Lexa's eyes fell on the cot that the lieutenant had died on with tears meeting her cheeks. 

“Tell me about him.” Clarke suggested. Sharing stories had helped Octavia grieve when they had left Bellamy behind in DC, and Lincoln had spend days retelling old college shenanigans with Nick after they had lost him to the virus. Lexa hadn't given herself a moment to grieve any of her losses. Her parents, the sailors lost to bring the cure home, Costia and Wells, and now this.

Lexa nodded after a moment and Clarke was surprised when she reached for her hand.

“He was brilliant. Any problem we had coming back, he fixed it. When Garnett was hurt, he put us back together, practically from scrap. He didn't think he could do it, but he was so much smarter than he thought he was.”   
Lexa squeezed Clarke's hand as she recalled, wiping her eyes with the other.

“One night in the Arctic, we spent a whole meal talking about different engine builds, he wanted to know all about my car, and we let our food go cold. Bacon smacked us both upside the head and made us clear our plates. Every time we talked in the mess for a week, Bacon would glare and Chung wouldn't say another word til his food was gone. He said cold food in the Arctic was worse than starving.”  
Lexa laughed at the memory, it was hollow and sad, but Clarke took it as a good sign. This wouldn't be an easy fix. 

“Commander Slattery said you went with the rescue team. You brought him home Lexa. I know you're beating yourself up right now, but you brought him home. That's what matters. You did what you could.”   
She scooted closer and gave Lexa's hand a squeeze, hoping she would believe her.

* * *

“I shouldn't have come back without you.”   
Clarke muttered as she flopped onto their bed and smacked petulantly at Lexa's unused pillow in protest. 

“I wouldn't have missed sinking that damned sub for the world, and I wouldn't have let you be there for it if you'd held me at gunpoint. You were needed at home, and I was needed here.”   
Lexa reminded her patiently, smiling as she pictured Clarke's tantrum.  
“We'll be there soon, remember? You saw the president's speech. Spread the cure up river and then it's all over. I'll take that boring command position and you'll be stuck with me for the rest of our lives.”   
She chuckled, it was a happy thought, even if it meant sitting still. 

“Should I be looking for my wedding dress?”   
Clarke asked sarcastically. They'd never really worked on plans, but they'd agreed that they didn't need anything over the top or extravagant.

“I think it's about time, don't you?”   
It seemed like a lifetime ago that they had met, and another since Lexa had proposed from a secret phone in the Arctic. It was about time. 

Clarke's grin was almost audible and Lexa grinned as well, distance seemingly nonexistent in that moment.

* * *

“This is bullshit. Ramsay's gone, and our own people are still too afraid to come near us.” 

Lexa muttered, shouldering her rifle and duffle bag to follow the rest of the team through the parking structure.

“Something went wrong somewhere, all we can do now is fix it.” Green replied with determination. 

“Let's just get to Memphis.”   
Burke grumbled, testing cars for unlocked doors. They all nodded agreement and spread out to do the same. 

“Hello beautiful.”  
Lexa let out a low whistle, coming to a stop at an old El Camino.

“Don't you have a woman in Saint Louis?”   
Wolf came up behind her with a mild teasing tone. 

“Clarke and I have an understanding when it comes to classics.” Lexa sniped back coolly, grinning as the handle gave and the door opened smoothly.

“Well I found my way to Memphis.”

“There's six of us.” 

“So we'll need two cars anyway. And look, there's camping equipment and fuel in the bed. I'll take our gear and whichever one of you whiners decides to annoy me the least, and the rest of you pile into that stupid little Element that Cruz found over there.”   
She raised an eyebrow and a wicked grin in challenge, the disappointment of the poor turn out forgotten. 

“Alright, good enough. Let's move out.” Green tossed his bag and gun into the bed of the car and swung into the passenger seat, signalling a ‘wheels up’ to Lexa and the other men. 

“You're a whole new bag of tricks these days.” He observed as she pulled ignition wires and started the car. 

“A little taste of home did me some good. Now I just want to get this all behind us so I can settle down with my wife. I think you of all people know exactly how I feel.” She clapped a hand to her friend’s shoulder before pushing the car into reverse and leading the way out of the garage. 

“I'm going to be a dad.” Danny murmured, reminding himself once again. 

“You're gonna be great.”

“Let's just pray for no more setbacks.” 

They shared a determined glance and a nod of agreement and set to their tasks, Danny navigating their route and Lexa driving.

* * *

The USS Nathan James. Moored in the shadow of the Gateway Arch. Part of her wanted to paint it, capture the image for Anya to remember it by when she was older. A piece of history, the first day of the new United States. The rest of her wanted to dive into the Mississippi and meet the boat, and Lexa, halfway. The part that won was the one that reminded her of her responsibilities, and so she stood still, waiting patiently with her family and Colonial Woods, her best diplomat face plastered in place, trying her hardest not to bounce with excitement. 

Lexa wasn’t there.

Chandler, Slattery, The president and Rachel came into view along with a half dozen other half familiar faces as the rib drew near, but Lexa’s was not among them. Lincoln’s hand came down firmly on her shoulder as she tensed, searching the first shore party again and again.

“She’ll be here.”   
He whispered quietly in her ear, looking to the colonial beside her for his support. Woods nodded, but Clarke caught the uneasy swallow and his own darting eyes. She should be there.

The crowd behind them cheered as the boat hit the shore, but Clarke’s stomach tightened with dread. The second boat was drawing closer, and Lexa wasn’t there either. Abby’s hand at her back brought her back to the job at hand, forcing her forward to greet the President and the Captain. 

Rachel fell into her in a warm, engulfing hug almost instantly, stopping her as the rest of the group moved quickly toward the crowd, making their introductions along the way. Clarke broke then, mask cracking and panic rising. 

She couldn't be gone. She was fine three days ago. The sub was gone, there was no one left to fight, she was coming home. Rachel pushed her back when she felt tears on her neck and the younger woman shaking in her arms. 

“Clarke. Clarke, look at me.”   
The doctor tried to steady her as she frantically searched the ship in the distance for any sign.  
“Clarke! Where’s your head?”   
Clarke’s attention snapped back to Rachel, the familiar words bringing her hyper focus to bare down on the doctor, Lexa’s closest friend aboard the ship. 

“How do you know-”   
Their code. 

Rachel cut her off, resting her hands on her shoulders once again.

“She told me you would panic. She made sure I knew what to say.”

“She’s….” She couldn't say it.

Gone.

“She’s alive, Clarke.”

The returning sob was surprise and relief, unbidden and quickly covered with a hand, its twin swiping at unbidden tears.

“She was shot in Memphis, but she’ll be alright. She’ll be on a boat as soon as she wakes up from surgery I'm sure. She wouldn’t let me operate until I knew what to say to you.”

Relief flooded her and she sank to her knees, adrenaline leaving her in a rush.

“I thought… But she’s alive. She’s ok. Thank you Rachel.”   
Clarke took the offered hand and pulled herself to her feet after a moment, composing herself again, trying not to dwell on the image of her Lexa unconscious in a hospital bed without her by her side.  
“We should, uh, the people.”   
Lexa was okay, this had to come first. She had a job to do, these were her people, they had a contagious cure to spread. Lexa would understand.

-

“Lincoln.” Octavia watched her sister shake and sink to her knees, stopping her husband before she impulsively moved to comfort her.   
He swallowed thickly, shifting and holding the infant in his arms tighter at the realization that he'd likely lost another sister. 

“There's nothing we can do Octavia.”   
He held her back.  
“You know her best, you know she's going to want to be alone.”

“That's your sister she's crying over!”   
Octavia was appalled.

“And believe me, I want to break down myself, but this was the last part of her mission, we need to finish it for her.”   
He pulled her forward, catching up to the Navy crew that had left them behind. 

“We need to take care of Clarke for her.”   
She stood her ground, defiantly pulling away from his grip, stepping backward before turning back to Clarke and the dock they'd come from. She stumbled when her foot came down on Clarke's toe. 

“I'm okay, Octavia. Lexa’s alright. She's hurt, but she's alive. I'm sorry I scared you, I was so sure something had happened, I should have kept it together until I knew for sure. 

Clarke had composed herself quickly but her cheeks were still streaked from tears and her voice cracked with emotion. Octavia wanted to smack her for apologizing, she was always thinking about how what she did affected others that she often forgot to feel, and even when she let herself, she apologized for it. Lincoln let out a shaky breath of his own and Octavia wrapped Clarke in a tight hug, relief flooding over her. 

“Come on O, work to do. I should be up there with the President.”  
Clarke sighed heavily, nearly too emotionally exhausted to do what she needed to do, but it was going to be a long day, and it had to be done.

* * *

“Madame Governor?” 

Clarke turned slowly toward the stiffly formal voice wearily pushing her smile back to warm and friendly. 

“I would ask you to dance, but…” 

Octavia and Raven’s faces split with wide grins as they realized who had intruded on their conversation.  
Lexa.  
Lexa in full dress blues, looking no worse for wear aside from the crutch she was leaning heavily on.   
Clarke was speechless, clapping a hand to her mouth to hold in the undignified squeak that threatened to break loose from her lips. 

“Oh my god.”   
She flung her arms around Lexa’s neck, nearly knocking them both off balance. Lexa flinched slightly but gripped her tightly with her free arm. 

“You're home.”   
Clarke murmured into the crook of her neck, smelling sea air on the starched collar of Lexa’s coat.

“I'm home.”   
Lexa repeated quietly against Clarke's ear, smiling with the words.   
“I'm sorry I couldn't be up there with you today.”   
She leaned back enough to hold Clarke's eyes with her own, apologizing more with her gaze than her words. 

“You're here now. That's what matters.” Clarke reassured her with a gentle kiss and stepped back to take in her injury. 

“I'll be fine.”   
Lexa stopped her before she could fuss.  
“We'll talk about it later. Right now, this is your Inaugural Ball and we need drinks.”

Raven let out a whoop at that and tugged at Octavia until she followed her to retrieve said beverages. Clarke pulled a chair out for Lexa at her table and scooted her own closer to it as Lexa dropped herself gingerly into the offered seat, favoring her hip. 

“Are you sure you'll be okay?”   
Clarke frowned at the pain written on her love’s face.

“Doc said I shouldn't have gotten out of bed for another week, but it's not going to kill me. I had to be here.” 

“You're crazy, you know that right?”   
Clarke laughed and leaned into Lexa's side, resting her head against her shoulder.

“You're probably right. Do you still want to marry me?”   
Lexa dropped a kiss to Clarke's forehead and reached up to bop her nose playfully.   
Clarke rolled her eyes. As if she would ever change her mind. 

“Absolutely. Where'd the judge go?”   
Clarke snuggled closer to feel Lexas laugh shake in her chest. 

“Right now?” 

“It's about time.”   
She had said it as a joke, but after the words left her mouth she knew that this was the right time, there was no more reason to wait. The trials of the past months were over, but the future wouldn't be easy and Clarke wanted to face it with her wife at her side. 

“It is.”   
Lexa grinned, dragging two fingers under Clarke's jaw to lead her into a kiss. She couldn’t agree more.

They broke only when the table shook slightly with Octavia and Raven's return, Lincoln and Tex in tow. 

“Shoulda known you'd drag your shot up ass out here for a pretty girl and a party, Fishstick.”   
Tex mussed Lexa's cap and fell into the next empty chair with a grin as Lincoln bent for a hug. 

“You're the one who got shot in the ass, Tex.”  
Lexa kicked at him halfheartedly, smiling warmly at her brother.   
“And I couldn't miss my own wedding. You wanna go grab the judge for us?”   
She raised her eyebrows with a wild grin, waiting for the reactions around the table. 

Raven simply shrugged, expecting nothing less, and set off to collect Abby and Rachel from the other side of the reception hall while Octavia and Lincoln stared with twin looks of awe, forming congratulations after they processed. 

Tex let out a full belly laugh.  
“Not wasting anymore time eh? ‘Atta girl.” 

“Well, everyone's already here and dressed all fancy, why not take advantage?”   
Lexa joked, earning a scowl and a playful shove from Clarke, which she answered with a grin and a shrug. 

“Memphis?” Tex leaned forward over his knees, reading the misdirection in his friend's jokes. She was covering up a deep insecurity and he could see it in her eyes. He was sure Clarke could too and he knew it should be said before anything else. His face grew serious and fatherly and Lexa's teasing smile dropped. 

“All I could think when you were dragging me back to the helo was that I should have married Clarke before we left Saint Louis. Before I died.”   
She admitted, dropping her head to speak at her knees.   
“I don't want to waste one more minute.”   
The smile came back as Clarke squeezed her hand and placed a soft kiss to her cheek. Tex simply nodded his approval and pulled himself from his chair to find an officiant for them.

* * *

“I almost feel bad for leaving early.”   
Lexa covered a yawn with a soft chuckle, leading Clarke into the room they'd been given for the night. 

“You don't.”   
Clarke corrected her with a smirk, watching her collapse overdramatically onto the bed. 

“I don't. Weddings and Inaugural balls are overrated. Two in one is just overkill.”  
Lexa informed the ceiling as she fumbled tiredly at the buttons of her coat and kicked her crutch to the floor.  
“Now come here and kiss your wife.” 

“You are such a baby when you're tired.” Clarke laughed and settled down next to Lexa and pulling the last few buttons free for her. 

“Does that mean you're not going to kiss me?”   
Lexa raised a brow, propping herself up on her elbows to keep eye contact as Clarke absently undid the buttons of her collar and loosened her tie as well.

“No, but it's true.”   
Clarke dipped her head and laid a palm to Lexas chest, pressing her back into the mattress with a slow kiss.   
“I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been working on this for months!   
> I am so glad I finally finished!!  
> I hope you guys enjoyed it!!!  
> Please let me know what you thought. :)


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